Robert & Patricia Switzer Foundation

Fellowship Year: 2010

Academic Background: University of California - Berkeley - PhD 2011- (Environmental Science, Policy and Management)

Current Position: Presidential Management Fellow , U.S. Forest Service

Currently Working On: National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Plan

Rachel Smith has a Ph.D. from UC Berkeley's College of Natural Resources in the Department of Environmental Sciences, Policy, and Management. Her research focused on role of collaborative planning in wildfire risk abatement. A firefighter from the age of 18, Rachel has fought wildfires throughout California and the American west, including time parachuting into remote fires as a U.S. Forest Service Smokejumper. Additionally, she has assisted suppression efforts abroad in countries ranging from Australia to South Africa to Guatemala. As the threat of catastrophic wildfires has increased around the world, Rachel has become increasingly interested in innovative solutions to reduce wildfire costs and losses. She spent the last three years researching effective strategies to engage stakeholders in wildfire risk mitigation with the support of a graduate research fellowship from the National Science Foundation. Rachel is a Presidential Management Fellow in Atlanta, Georgia, working on the implementation of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Plan for the U.S. Forest Service.

Expertise: Natural Resource Management, Environmental Policy & Law, Environmental Education